Russia has been accused of using a special cumulative-cutting warhead on jet-powered drones for the first time, sparking fears Ukraine's steel bridges and high-voltage power pylons could be the next targets. Ukrainian officials reportedly fear the Kremlin is moving beyond hitting power stations and other large infrastructure sites and is now preparing to cut the lines and links that keep the country running, with winter approaching.
Expert raises alarm over new warhead
Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, an expert in military radio technology and a special adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, raised the alarm in a Facebook update reported by Ukrainian News agency. He said: “Bad news. Today, for the first time, the enemy used a special warhead - a cumulative-cutting special payload (KRSN). This warhead was designed specifically to destroy high-voltage power poles and steel bridge structures.”
The allegation centres on Russian forces fitting jet-powered strike drones with the KRSN payload. It is described as a specialised weapon rather than a standard high-explosive warhead typically used to blow apart buildings or cause anti-personnel damage. Unlike conventional explosives, the KRSN is said to be designed like a precision engineering tool aimed at heavy industrial targets, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Warhead details and potential targets
It reportedly uses a “cumulative-cutting” shaped explosive layout intended to slice through metal and steel reinforcement. Details shared by Beskrestnov suggested the warhead contains a 40-kilogram main charge paired with four separate strike modules. The stated purpose is to topple high-voltage transmission towers and sever the structural frameworks of steel bridges.
The development has left Ukrainian officials highly alarmed, with the electricity grid already under immense strain after earlier waves of bombardment. There are fears Russia could shift from striking power generation plants to systematically severing distribution lines that move electricity across the country.
Threat to bridges and drone deployment
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi has confirmed Russia launched massive strikes targeting energy facilities across Kyiv and other key regions. A threat to bridges could be just as serious, Ukrainian News reported. If steel bridge structures can be damaged or cut, it would endanger Ukraine’s internal supply lines, troop movements and routes used for civilian evacuation, potentially turning key crossings into chokepoints.
Ukrainian intelligence has also noted Russia has scaled up its deployment of jet-powered strike drones, including modified Geran or Shahed-type variants. Production is said to be shifting to local complexes such as Alabuga, while using Chinese-manufactured jet engines.
